A Mexican conspiracy as a germ of the truth

Jorge Volpi unravels ' a criminal novel ', the work with which he won the Alfaguara, in a conversation with the director of El PAÍS

15 Mart 2018 Perşembe 02:30 - 19 reads.

In 2005, Mexican Israel Vallarta and French Florence Cassez were detained in Mexico City on charges of multiple kidnappings. The operation, broadcast live on television, is starting engine of a criminal novel, book with which Jorge Volpi (Mexico City, 1968) has won Alfaguara prize. The problem is that it was a lie turned by police into televised spectacle and a vital nightmare for those involved and ir families. "If we are so worried about false news Now, re was germ, first fake news. For two hours, Mexicans saw a montage against alleged kidnappers and victims. The policeman who took investigation was promoted and only one journalist was fired. It is unheard of, "he emphasized on Wednesday writer in Circle of Fine Arts in Madrid during conversation he held with director of El PAÍS, Antonio Caño, in which he devasted keys of his work.

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Jorge Volpi wins Alfaguara prize with ' a criminal novel '

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A criminal novel is a book without fiction, a narrative artifact that follows wake of best Emmanuel Carrère or Norman Mailer of song of Executioner to show reader a universe of political and police corruption, a maze of manufacturing and assemblies Journalistic and judicial against two alleged kidnappers in which no one comes out unscad. A case that, if not true, could not be believed and that thanks to research and journalistic rigor of Volpi leaves as many legitimate questions as proven facts and dismounted falsehoods.

"This matter has all elements of a great story: Police part, love story and a conspiracy. This research first and book later became a metaphor for my country and vices that has a judicial system designed to protect powerful and with corruption present at all levels, "said author of Memorial of Deception.

"All that is described in book is unfortunately an everyday story for many Mexicans: corruption, injustice and a dark plot that tries to deprive citizens of truth. Volpi has done an investigation that hopefully would have made judicial system, "said Caño, before asking contributor of this newspaper for presence of his voice in this novel. "No text is innocent," replied Volpi quoting Roland Bars. "It is written in first person, but most discreet; Only in a few moments does he try to show aspects that seemed delicate to me. The form is what gives it literary presence. When facts were contradictory, I chose ones that seemed most plausible to me and re is hand of narrator. It is a complex case full of gaps, and in some situations I have allowed to fill m with imagination, but always warning reader, "he added.

This research first and book later became a metaphor for my country and vices that has a judicial system designed to protect powerful

Jorge Volpi

The work has a solid political intent, a concern for situation in Mexico, as pointed out by Caño recalling literary beginnings of writer. "Many of my generation grew up reading and seeing Carlos Fuentes or Mario Vargas Llosa and so I guess from beginning I was interested in political and social issues and so I guess this book portrays Mexico," highlighted Volpi.

Cassez was released in 2013 after a diplomatic war between France and Mexico, but Vallarta has been in a maximum-security prison for 13 years without a firm ruling against it. In all this lies some of surrealism that Caño commented as an essential element of Mexican politics, but re are more. Volpi tries to explain edges of case, so present in last sense of book: "One of problems is oversimplification of everything in media. What happens in Mexico is complex. There are levels of violence exacerbated by narco-war since end of 2006. This case, in a way, is prelude to what would come next. Since n, Mexico has become a graveyard with 150,000 dead and a countless number of missing persons. "

Nationalist clash with France

"At first re is a collusion of media and police to show this montage and n a series of lies that are linking. Then re is a second political part when Nicolas Sarkozy intervenes to try to liberate Florence Cassez, "explains Volpi about crisis unleashed following case. "The two presidents were very similar, and not just because y were both short, but this case faces m. Calderon decides that Florence should not be given to French and Sarkozy decides that regardless of wher or not he was innocent, he had to be released. It was a nationalist clash "